How long before your state pension increase actually comes through?

patchydoodle

Went through the process, got the 16 digit reference, paid the amount stated on our letter in mid April. Checked online and saw that the missing years now show as full year. 
As we're nearly 4 months on I have called twice now wondering when I'll actually see an increase in my state pension but am fobbed off with 'we're very busy just now'
Has anyone else encountered such a long wait?

molerat

It is a long manual process which can take several months and is taking much longer due to the number of claimants, anecdotally anything up to a year from first contact to seeing the money.  But it will be backdated to the date of payment.

patchydoodle

If molerat is correct when he suggests that it can take up to a year to actually receive the money then this is ridiculous. Is this something Martin Lewis could raise?

molerat

Martin Lewis is one of the causes of the problem !  There are only so many trained staff who can deal with this manual operation that at one time was, and will return to being, a very minor part of the overall pension process.  Paying contributions prior to retirement puts everything into the hands of the computer giving an almost instant response, paying after you are into the realms of Gringott's Bank.  On the plus side I believe things are gradually returning to normality.

patchydoodle

The power of Martin Lewis! A mere three days after posting this I received my letter and back-dated amount. Spooky or what? So in total 4 months from depositing money to pension been updated

dreaming

patchydoodle said:

The power of Martin Lewis! A mere three days after posting this I received my letter and back-dated amount. Spooky or what? So in total 4 months from depositing money to pension been updated

That's encouraging. I paid mine a couple of weeks ago (on the 1st Aug to be exact) and have checked online and can now see my records showing as all full. I have seen that it can take several months to be calculated and paid so have sort of put it out of my mind for now, thinking it will be a nice little "bonus" when it does come through, then I can start replenishing my savings again.